John Ford's style

[Theauteur14]

Have a lot of you guys looked up John Ford?

I was reading 50th law (by Robert Greene and 50 cent). They went into John Ford's style. Ford was known for being very hard on his cast and crew, getting into fist fights with his actors. It was said that he is the only person that could make John Wayne cry. He would make fun and berate his actors when they didn't get things right. He had no patience for b.s.

But at the thing is his actors and crew would always want to work with him again. Why? Because the knew that he was serious about his work. Actors felt that mixed in with his vague, but descriptive direction and anger that he brought the best out of them.

Ford said that this wasn't really who he was. That he had to put on this mask on screen to make sure that he got what he wanted. Actors close to him to see that he was actually a sensitive guy.

The only directors today that seem anywhere near this are James Cameron, David O Russell, and I heard that Oliver Stone was tough.

I thought that this was interesting. I'm not into getting into fights with people that I work with on set. But as a director I get what he was doing: you have to show that you are willing to be bad to be a good leader.

The most people that I've had on a set between cast and crew is eight (including myself), even with that number you have people with their own desires and are figuring out how to get what they want. Ford was doing movies with hundreds of people.

The mentality that I have taken on is that basically I am nice until I am given a reason not to be. I am not scared to be bad when I have to be. I don't want anyone to know too much about me or who I really am. When I give direction to actors on set by then I do not want to go over character motivations and what not. I will say little things that will influence their performance to the way that I want it to go to. Say things that makes them think. Maybe it's because I am an actor. But I try not to say mean things to my actors or yell at them (especially women). As for dealing with crew, being an actor I try to show them the proper attention so they know that I care. Some crew members do need to be put in their place or told to pick up the pace every now and then though.

Ford's way was basically this: get the reputation of being tough so people know what they are getting into when they work with you. Helps that he was one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.

I am not saying that we should act like he acted. It might be cliche at this point. But I thought it was interesting. To be an effective leader you have to do certain things.

 

[FilmmakerJ]

I'll actually be watching Peter Bogdonovich's film about John Ford tonight with my Mom. So I'll probably come back and add some more thoughts here.

But I feel very similar to how you do about being unsure of how tough to be on your actors or your crew. You don't want to be too harsh so as to make them dislike you or develop less respect or understanding for you, and yet you want to make sure your vision remains intact and gets up on screen the way you intended. So we all have to learn when and how to put our foot down.

My current film was the only film where I ever really felt like I was starting to understand what it means to be a director. There weren't really any confrontations, but that's mostly because I didn't bring up any. I had a heck of a lot of concerns and issues with my crew and my cast, but I just felt it was best to roll with the punches, because I could see that I was still getting something in camera that fit perfectly with my vision and intention. So in the end, in this instance, it couldn't have gone better.

On future films though, I'm sure I'll feel more prepared and ready to make my voice clear and understood, and my expectations known.

 

[Theauteur14]

That is pretty much how I felt after my last short too. In the end of the day with all the issues that we're thrown at me, it couldn't have worked out any better.

I would say the one thing that I realized and this is probably why John Ford could to what he did, is that your cast and crew needs to be your family. Because of a few issues I only ended up really bonding with one person in my short (a supporting actress) and a one scene actress was cool too. But I knew that I didn't like my DP. But since he knew what he was doing and had great equipment I overlooked it. I didn't get to know the rest of my crew, I didn't meet the replacement lead actress until the day of (diva) and I hardly knew the supporting actor (He was okay. A bit annoying. But okay). It truly is like a marriage. Especially between the director and the actors, then the director, your DP and your AD. You have to have people who can be honest with you in a way that you can walk away and be still be friends. Few people have this.

I am also going to set up a producing team once I finish this feature I am writing. I think that above all is key. Surrounding yourself with good people.

Any major things happen during your short? Did you feel it was a lot harder than it had to be?

 

[FilmmakerJ]

Well my PD was kinda nutty.
Without fail she would always be late to whatever meetings we had, despite the fact that we only had like 3 or 4. And even though I asked everyone to come a half hour earlier than when I planned to start, she would always be 10, 15, 20 minutes late. Even on our shooting days, somehow she would be late. It didn't drive me insane or anything, I just found it kind of shocking. She also, somehow, had the most complicated life ever. Every time she was unable to make it somewhere, which is even worse than being late, she'd always have this awkwardly perfect excuse that sounded so fake that I had to believe there must be some truth in it, because she can't seriously think I'm stupid enough to fall for this if this was a lie.

But you know, if the way she conducts herself is meant to bite her in the ass later, it will. And if it doesn't yet, and she doesn't change, then it will eventually. Because while I could tolerate it, no one else is going to in the professional world.

Besides which, she did some amazing work for my film. Despite being late, being absent, and not getting started as early as we could have on set building, she pulled through with some fantastic stuff for what we could afford. She built half the sets all by herself. Sewed an original dress for the film. And got almost everything we needed and put it together on time. So when she wants to get something done, she gets it done.

I also had to deal with very confusing and potentially conflicting schedules with my 6 actors. Some could only be around for 3 hours one day and be back in the evening for another 2. Some could only be around for 2 days but not all four. And some who needed to film scenes together had multiple days where their schedules didn't allow for them to be in the same place at the same time. But somehow, I managed to work it all out so that we could film who we needed to and when on certain days and get everything in the can. And we did! I still don't know how I managed it or how it didn't stress the piss out of me. But we did it.

Furthermore, I discovered during my time making this film that I'm not much of a leader yet. And I really need an Assistant Director. Because I'm not socially prepared yet to keep up people's spirits and lighten the mood: to become the voice of enthusiasm when everyone else is feeling drab.

When things got slow and quiet on set, they were very quiet. And when things got working again, they just sort of felt a bit like a chore. So there really wasn't much so-called "Fun" on set. And I really wish there had been more. Thankfully my male actors were quite good at the improv, which is why I cast them, so they did a lot of joking, singing, and cartoon voice impressions during the duller moments. If I had been making a drama, I can't imagine how much more bleak the shooting days might have been.

And I too made a good connection with one particular crew-member, my chief sound designer, Martin: who actually stepped up to plate and became my assistant producer because of all the extra work he was doing and helping to coordinate on the side. My film would not be where it is without him.

 

[Theauteur14]

That's funny, your DP actually sounds like the one actress that I bonded with. While she is part of the reason I even made this and helped me with a few things (she is the reason that I was able to get a replacement supporting actor) she always had something happen to her, was always a little late. The day of shooting when she didn't show up her excuse was so crazy that I had to believe her (I actually think that women like this who say they have crazy stuff happen to do them do it because it creates anxiety in the person they do it to and is a step towards validation). But on set she did a great job and was cool as hell. I honestly spoke to her more than I did my leading lady.

Some DPs are kinda weird. Mine was a hardcore workaholic and I had to work around his schedule. It's hard to find a DP that you can really just gel with and does what you need. My old roommate who shot a docu short and a narrative one found his guy and said that he will always work with him. That is tough to find.

I didn't have an AD either. I was fine as a leader and a manager. But an AD would have still been a huge help. I am never going without one again. At least with an AD they can do whatever it is that you don't want to do. On my feature I think I am going to have like three ADs.

I can't say that the set was always fun. The short had comedic moments. But at it's core it was a drama. But I did a decent job of trying to keep it light and at one point I had to really motivate my DP into working quicker and still producing results. I come from the sports world where you expect perfection and speed.

I should have gotten an assistant producer. You truly cannot do this on your on.